Wet Willie has resurfaced in the 21st century in a slightly amended form, yet still sporting their special finger-lickin' fusion of blues with Southern rock. On-again, off-again leader Jimmy Hall isn't with the aggregate on High Humidity, recorded appropriately enough at the legendary Tipitina's in New Orleans. However, John Anthony (keyboards, vocals), Jack Hall, Jr. (bass, vocals), and Donna Hall (vocals) from the "classic" mid-'70s incarnation are present and accounted for, while T.K. Lively (drums, percussion, vocals) represents the late-'70s Epic Records-era lineup and recent recruit Ric Seymour pulls double duty as guitarist and primary singer. Further thickening the mix are the four-piece Hurricane Horns, and while many brass sections tend to bloat a band's sound, this combo adds its textures tastefully. A glance at the set list reveals the wide variety of Wet Willie's musical personas, vacillating from the Little Feat-esque bopper "Mind Over Matter" to the funky visage placed on the typically hard-hitting cover of Taj Mahal's "She Caught the Katy." It's easy to hear the influence from the equally inspired take located on Drippin' Wet (1973). The obligatory singalong "Street Corner Serenade" is a Wet Willie signature and the gang assembled here offers it up in a spirited reading that is strikingly close to the original and a perfect vehicle for showing off Seymour's malleable vocals. Another early favorite is the open-throttled "Babyfat," which hasn't lost any of its propensity as a girth-shakin' down-home boogie and again provides the Hurricane Horns a chance to blow. The beat gets turned around for a sensuously soulful reworking of the Memphis R&B staple "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," once again highlighting Seymour's strengths as a balladeer as well as a piledriving heavyweight frontman. He ably proves the latter on the concluding trio that sandwiches Wet Willie's sole Top Ten hit "Keep On Smiling" between compelling remakes of the vintage R&B platters "Grits Ain't Groceries" and "Shout Bamalama" -- both of which became permanent entries in their concert repertoire during the '70s. ~by Lindsay Planer

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